Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

A new observational study published in the British Medical Journal shows no link between saturated fats and a greater risk of death, stroke and heart disease.

“It actually showed that there was no association between saturated fat intake and those factors,” says Kate Patton, RD, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic who was not involved in the study. “But it did show that trans fat did have an impact.”

Trans fat linked to health risks

Results show that consuming man-made trans fat was associated with a 34 percent increase in death, a 28 percent increased risk of death from heart disease and a 21-percent increased risk of heart disease alone.

Saturated fat in moderation

Saturated fats are commonly found in animal products like butter, cows’ milk, meat and egg yolks.

Patton says it’s okay to include some saturated fats in your diet, but keep in mind that it’s still unclear how they impact heart health.

“The saturated fat issue is still a grey area so you still want to keep it in moderation because we do know that more of the plant based fats actually have a lot more heart protective benefits,” Patton says.